"How the JLP snatched victory from the PNP"
Post any comments or questions that you may have about the pending book here.
My focus will include the following areas:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavior_Modification
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_movements
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_behavior
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Before you screen me out read me out, then compare my arguments with your observationS and look for the patterns. They are present and both election 2002 and 2007 evidences patterns of Behavior Modification strategies merged with Public Relation and Opinion Polling.
http://www.howtoadvice.com/PRGamePlan
A Winning Public Relations
Game Plan for 2002
________________________________________
by Robert A. Kelly
I have learned in my public relations work, especially from leaders in the field, that there are only three ways a public relations effort can impact behavior: create opinion where it doesn't exist, reinforce existing opinion or change that opinion. No surprise that the process by which those goals are realized is known as public relations. So, while behavior is the goal, and a host of communication tactics are the tools, our strategy is the leverage provided by public opinion.
Which is precisely why this article is titled "A Winning Public Relations Game Plan for 2002." Winning, because the plan is based squarely on the reality that people's perceptions of the facts directly affect their behaviors. And that something CAN be done about those underlying perceptions, especially in a land celebrated for the free exchange of ideas.
I believe this is the Rosetta Stone of public relations, i.e., a clue to understanding that has provided the knowledge and experience needed to effectively address both the positive and negative challenges posed by public opinion in a free society.
Fortunately, public relations will continue to create, change or reinforce public opinion by reaching, persuading, and moving-to-action those people whose behaviors affect the organization. When the behavioral changes become apparent, and meet the program's original behavior modification goal, that public relations venture can be called a success.
And so it will be again in 2002, hopefully a year in which the American economy again points to growth and expansion.
Prioritize Your Audiences
If you follow a game plan similar to this one, you would start with a priority-ranking of those audiences with an interest in your organization, often referred to as stakeholders or "publics." Included would be customers, prospects, employees, media, the business community and local thought- leaders as well as a number of other possible interest groups.
What Do They Think of You?
As time allows, interaction of one kind or another with key audiences will provide you with their impressions of your organization, in particular areas where problems may be brewing. This is information gathering, opinion sampling, informal polling if you will, but essential to any public relations effort. If resources are available, a modest opinion poll of the priority audience would be helpful.
How Much Behavioral Change is Needed?
With opinion sampling underway, it's a good time to focus on the possibly negative behaviors these impressions, these perceptions have created. Once they are identified and understood, a marker can be set down establishing the degree of behavioral change that realistically can be expected and monitored.
This becomes the program goal against which the program will finally be measured.
Create, Change or Reinforce Opinion?
Now, it is a short step towards establishing whether perceptions and opinion among those key audiences must be created from scratch, nudged in one direction or another, or simply reinforced. An important decision because it will influence the direction, content and tone of all of your communications.
The Persuasive Message
Then, it's time to prepare messages tailored to each audience that, while providing details about your products and service quality and diversity, indirectly address those potential problem areas that came up during the information gathering meetings. Of special concern in preparing the messages will be your behavior modification goal and the audience perception adjustments necessary to achieve it.
Reaching Your Audience
How will you communicate each message to its audience? How will you reach these people? Your choices include face-to-face meetings, briefings, news releases, news announcement luncheons, media interviews, facility tours, special promotional events, a brochure, and a variety of other communications tactics.
And don't forget special events as a means for reaching those target audiences with your messages. They are usually newsworthy and include activities such as financial roadshows, awards ceremonies, trade shows, contests or open houses.
Media That Target Your Audience
It sounds elementary, but selecting the right media to carry your messages demands that you be certain that each communications tool zeros in directly on the target audience. Example: no sense in using ride-time (rush hour) radio appearances if you're trying to reach retirees.
Signs of Improvement
So, how will you know whether your efforts are actually changing perceptions (and behaviors) for the better? As time passes, experience shows that you will begin to notice increased awareness of your organization and its role in the marketplace; a growing receptiveness to your messages by customers; a growing public perception of the role your organization plays in its industry and in the community, as well as increasing numbers of prospects.
Achieving The Goal
To track actual results, you or your colleagues must speak on a regular basis with people among each of your key audiences, as well as by monitoring print and broadcast media for mentions of your messages or viewpoints, as well as through interaction with key customers, prospects, and influentials. Each of these indicators will reflect local, individual perception of your organization which, in turn, will gradually begin to approach the degree of behavior modification you seek.
The effort is worth it. Done correctly, when public relations results in modified behaviors among groups of people important to your organization, you're talking about nothing less than its survival.
http://www.howtoadvice.com/PRindicators
Best Way To Measure Public Relations Results
________________________________________
by Robert A. Kelly
How can you measure the results of an activity more accurately than when you clearly achieve the goal you set at the beginning of that activity?
In my opinion, you can't. It's pure success when you meet that goal.
Public relations is no different. The client/employer wants our help in altering counterproductive perceptions among key audiences which almost always change behaviors in a way that helps him or her get to where they want to be.
And why are we uniquely qualified to do that job?
Because, everything we do is based on the realities that people act on (their perception of the facts) and we can do something about those perceptions. When public relations activity successfully creates, changes or reinforces that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-action those people whose behaviors affect the organization, the public relations effort is a success.
But before we follow that client/employer on his or her way to that kind of successful public relations end game, a few words about the measurement challenge itself.
It's a large challenge and one that stands between us and the achievement of that conclusive indicator showing that our public relations investment has been applied wisely.
Unfortunately, traditional public relations performance measurement methods are subjective and open to varied interpretation because we do not have viable and widely accepted public relations measurement standards.
Instead, as we attempt to evaluate public relations performance now, we must use highly subjective, very limited and only partially applicable performance judgments. Among them, inquiry generation, story content analysis, gross impressions, and even equivalent advertising value.
It's incredible when you think about it.
Here we are, part and parcel of America's multi-trillion dollar industrial, educational and organizational colossus and, yet, we cannot demonstrate conclusively - that's CONCLUSIVELY - that we achieved our public relations program's behavioral goal.
Why? Because, as of today, it costs WAY too much public opinion survey money to demonstrate conclusively that we achieved the public relations perception and behavioral goal set at the beginning of the program. In many cases, the opinion research costs more than the entire underlying public relations program. Thus, it's almost always set aside in favor of "winging it."
What are we to do?
This article highlights what many professionals already know. We need this final step in the public relations problem
solving sequence, and we need it badly.
What can be done? I like the NASA approach. When money is especially short, these dedicated people repeatedly find a way around the problem using an amazing mix of tech- nology innovation, operational creativity and raw
determination.
Here, in the year 2002, why cannot the best minds in the fields of public relations, sociology, psychology and opinion gathering attack the challenge of PROVING CONCLUSIVELY that a given public relations campaign has - or has not - changed target audience behaviors as planned at the beginning
of the program, and do so without bankrupting its
participants? Until an answer to that question presents itself, let us follow our client/employer as s/he pursues that successful public relations end game.
Take the client/employer bedeviled by activists who perceive his or her organization as despoilers of the environment, or whose newly introduced kitchen appliance is perceived as unsafe, or who is perceived as profiting from the labors of underage workers in its Far Eastern manufacturing plants.
Common to each are negative perceptions which invariably lead to negative behaviors such as calls for more government regulation, legal challenges, falling product sales, declining share prices and boycotts, to name a few.
Secure in the knowledge that public relations problems are nearly always defined by what people think about the facts rather than the actual truth of the matter, the public relations team faced with such challenges must now mount its attack. In particular to alter counterproductive
perceptions and behaviors, and achieve the behavioral goal set at the beginning of the activity.
First, it assesses the accuracy of each allegation. If there is some truth to it, immediate remedial action is called for. Even if it is patently untrue, the damaging perception remains and must be confronted.
Now we identify our key audiences by starting with a priority-ranking of those audiences with a clear interest in the organization, often referred to as "stakeholders" or "publics." Here, among others, we might spotlight customers and prospects, the trade and business communities, employees, local thought-leaders and media in field locations, as well as a number of other possible stakeholder groups.
Then, through industry and community contacts as well as opinion sampling, we determine the level of individual
concern, i.e., the degree of awareness, personal feeling and emotion about the allegations and where they are the strongest among the organization's key audiences.
Now, we establish the public relations goal. Namely, to change public perception of the negative allegations from negative to positive.
Within that overall public relations goal, we set down our perception and behavior modification objectives which
obviously will require considerable communications firepower to achieve. However, once the negative perceptions are truly understood,
such a progress marker can be set down, and agreed upon, thus establishing the degree of behavioral change that can be expected.
Here, we determine the public relations strategy. We only have three choices: CREATE opinion where none exists, CHANGE existing opinion, or REINFORCE that existing opinion. In this case, it is clear that considerable existing opinion has turned negative so the public relations strategy will be to begin the process of changing that opinion - not
creating or reinforcing it -- from negative to positive.
At this point, we begin preparation of what we hope will be persuasive messages for communication to our target audiences. Bringing those important audiences around to one's way of thinking depends heavily on the quality of the messages we prepare.
At the least, the messages must disarm rumors and correct misstatements and inaccuracies thus providing a credible basis upon which individuals may alter their perceptions. Of course, pre-testing a message for effectiveness with focus groups is always recommended.
With this homework completed, "communications weaponry" (how do we project our carefully prepared messages to our key audiences?) must be brought to bear.
Among examples of the wide variety of communications tactics available to us are face-to-face meetings, Internet ezines and email, hand-placed newspaper and magazine feature articles and broadcast appearances, special consumer briefings, news releases, announcement luncheons, onsite media interviews, facility tours, brochures and even promotional contests.
Especially effective in reaching target audiences with the message are newsmaker special events. They are newsworthy by definition and include activities such as financial road shows, awards ceremonies, trade conventions, celebrity appearances and open houses.
The publicity, or communications effort can then be
accelerated, insuring that the GROUPS of tactics most likely to efficiently reach our target audiences are chosen. Here we refer to major tactical activities such as key Internet communications, important podium presentations, top-level personal contacts as well as prime-rated print and broadcast media interviews. Because when such tools are used to communicate with each target audience, we want them to hit home!
Here, I want to monitor progress and look for signs of improvement. Public relations counsel and staff must speak regularly with members of each target audience, monitor print and broadcast media for evidence of the company's messages or viewpoints, and interact with key customers, prospects and influentials. And, if resources allow, local market opinion polling should be included.
Finally, indicators that the messages are clearly moving opinion in your direction will start showing up. Indicators like comments in community business meetings, mentions in research analyst's reports, local newspaper editorials, e-mails from members of target audiences as well as public references by political figures and local celebrities.
And that means we are approaching the end-game. When the changes in behaviors become really obvious through increased sales, print and broadcast reports, community-leader comment, employee and community chatter and a variety of other feedback - in other words, clearly meeting the original behavior modification goal - two things have occurred. One, the public relations program is a success and, two, by achieving the behavioral goal you set at the beginning, you are using a virtually perfect public relations performance measurement.
The missing ingredient? Affordable public opinion research.
http://aboutpublicrelations.net/uckelly7a.htm
How to Hit the Public Relations Bullseye
Find your mark with the very first shot.
Related Resources
• Basics of PR
• Media Relations
• Jobs in PR
• PR Toolkit
• Lots More PR Articles
by Robert A. Kelly
So, what IS a public relations bullseye? The public relations professional must modify somebody's behavior if he or she is to hit that bullseye and earn a paycheck - everything else is a means to that end.
Here's why. In public relations, a bullseye can mean survival when it successfully changes the perceptions and, hence, the behaviors of certain groups of people important to the success of the organization. In other words, when those changes clearly meet the original behavior modification goal set at the beginning of the program, the public relations effort is successful and scores the bullseye.
But, is public relations really equipped to do that? Yes, because its roots are planted deeply in the principle that people act on their own perceptions of the facts. When public relations successfully creates, changes or reinforces public opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-action those people whose behaviors affect the organization, it accomplishes its mission -- a bullseye!
HOW IT WORKS
1) The public relations effort should be focused on the three realities alluded to above:
• People act on their perception of the facts;
• Perceptions lead to behaviors;
• Something can be done about those perceptions and behaviors that leads to achieving the organization's operating objectives.
2) Identify the key operating problem to be addressed.
One example could be a national marketer of furniture imported from the Far East. News reports and other input, amplified by competitive trouble-making out in the trade, suggest there are quality problems in the company's factories in Southeast Asia.
3) Verify truth or falsity of the allegations.
Because the company's sales have leveled off and are starting to decline, public relations counsel and staff, working closely with the company's manufacturing people here and abroad, establish conclusively that reports and rumors of declining quality are without foundation, and simply untrue.
4) Verify status of both consumer and trade perceptions of the company's product quality.
Probing consumer opinion through personal contact and informal polling out in the market place, counsel and staff determine that, in fact, there IS a disturbing perception that the company's furniture line is "of low quality and not worth the prices asked."
It is useful to recall here that public relations problems are often defined by what people think about a set of facts, as opposed to the actual truth of the matter. Here, it is clear that negative trade and consumer perceptions about the company's products, however inaccurate they may be, account for the decline in showroom traffic and sales, and must be confronted.
5) Establish the public relations goal.
The goal is to begin the process of changing public perception of the company's furniture quality from negative to positive, leading to consumer behavioral changes, in turn attracting furniture buyers to company showrooms once again.
6) Determine the public relations strategy.
Will it be to CREATE opinion where none exists, CHANGE existing opinion, or REINFORCE that existing opinion? In this case, it is clear that considerable existing opinion has turned negative on the quality of the company's furniture, so the public relations strategy will be to CHANGE that opinion from negative to positive.
7) Establish the perception and modification goals.
Goals here will be measured in terms of customers returning to the showrooms, along with increasing sales, in the first three to six months following the program's kickoff, which obviously will require considerable communications firepower to achieve. Once the negative perceptions are truly understood, such a marker can be set down, and agreed upon, establishing the degree of behavioral change that realistically can be expected.
8) Identify the key audiences.
Public relations counsel and staff start with a priority-ranking of those audiences with a clear interest in the organization, often referred to as "stakeholders" or "publics." In this case, at the top of the list is the furniture-buying public - prospects and customers - as well as the trade and business communities, employees, local thought-leaders and media in the company's retail outlet locations, and a number of other possible stakeholder groups.
9) Prepare persuasive messages.
Bringing those important target audiences around to one's way of thinking depends heavily on the quality of the message prepared for each of them.
It's not easy. The messages must disarm the rumors with clear evidence of excellent design and construction quality, and seconded by credible third-party endorsements such as satisfied customers and top design consultants. They will impart a sense of credibility to the company's statements. Regular assessments of how opinion is currently running among target groups must be performed, constantly adjusting the message and, finally, action-producing incentives for individuals to take the desired actions must be identified and built into each message.
Those incentives might include the very strength of the company's forthright position on the quality issue, plans for expansion that hold the promise of more jobs and taxes, or sponsorship of new furniture design shows on local cable channels.
10) Select the most effective communications tactics and commence action.
How will target audiences in the various company locations actually be reached? Choices include face-to-face meetings, hand-placed feature articles and broadcast appearances, special consumer briefings, news releases, announcement luncheons, onsite media interviews, facility tours, promotional contests, brochures and a variety of other communications tactics.
Special events are especially effective in reaching target audiences with the message. They are newsworthy by definition and include activities such as financial roadshows, awards ceremonies, trade conventions, celebrity appearances and open houses.
The effort can be accelerated, even amplified by carefully selecting the most efficient tactics such as print or broadcast media, key podium presentations or top-level personal contacts because, when these tools communicate with each target audience, they must score direct bullseyes.
Equally important to the success of the action program will be the selection and perceived credibility of the actual spokespeople who deliver the messages. They must speak with authority and conviction if meaningful media coverage is to be achieved.
11) Monitor progress and seek signs of improvement.
Public relations counsel and staff must speak regularly with members of each target audience, monitor print and broadcast media for evidence of the company's messages or viewpoints, and conduct a variety of interactions with key customers, prospects and influentials.
Indicators that the messages are moving opinion in the company's direction will start appearing. Indicators like comments in community business meetings, local newspaper editorials, e-mails from members of target audiences as well as public references by political figures and local celebrities.
Now, the action program should begin to gain and hold the kind of public understanding and acceptance that will lead to the desired shift in public behavior. Executed correctly - especially against the reality of plunging sales -- we're talking about nothing less than the organization's survival.
12) And the end-game?
When the changes in behaviors become truly apparent through increased showroom traffic, media reports, thought-leader comment, employee and community chatter and a variety of other feedback - in other words, clearly meeting the original behavior modification goal -- the public relations program can be deemed a success.
In the end, a sound strategy combined with effective tactics leads directly to the bottom line - altered perceptions, modified behaviors, a happy CEO and a public relations bullseye
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